Signal transmission lines, such as telephone lines, fiber optic lines, Ethernet lines, and the like are often connected to receiving units (e.g., wall outlets or female receptacles on other devices) via flexible conductors or lines having plug-in type connectors on their ends. RJ11, 8P8C, MT-RJ, and LC fiber-optic connectors are examples of plug-in connectors having retention latches.
Modern computers usually are connected to some type of network in order to share resources. Examples of such networks include the Internet, Wide Area Networks (WANs), and Local Area Networks (LANs). In order to access a network such as a LAN, a client computer must be coupled to the LAN either wirelessly or via hard wiring. A popular hard wiring system utilizes connectors known as 8P8C connectors (sometimes referred to as RJ45 connectors).
FIG. 1 is a cross-sectional side view of an 8P8C plug of a conventional 8P8C connector. The 8P8C plug is sometimes referred to as a RJ45 plug. The 8P8C plug 100 typically is formed of plastic and comprises a latch base 120 and a flexible retention latch 130. The retention latch 130 is sometimes referred to as a connector tab or a latching tab and is integrally molded as part of the plastic 8P8C plug 100. RJ11, MT-RJ, and LC fiber-optic connectors also have flexible retention latches. The retention latch 130 comprises a stem 134 and a finer flexible section 132 coupled to the latch base 120. A pair of shoulders 136 is disposed on the connection between the stem 134 and the flexible section 132 as lock points. A vacant space 138 exists between the retention latch 130 and the 8P8C plug 100, and thus the retention latch 130 can be flexed. In addition, the back end of the 8P8C plug 100 is attached to a cable 110.
When the 8P8C plug 100 is inserted into a network port in a machine or a wall outlet, the retention latch 130 of the 8P8C plug 100 flexes as it rides over a pair of spaced apart retention lips 139 inside a female 8P8C receptacle 200 (see FIG. 2) and snaps into a locked attachment with the 8P8C female receptacle 200. The pair of shoulders 136 of the retention latch 130 engages the pair of retention lips 139. When a user desires to disconnect the 8P8C plug 100, the stem 134 of the retention latch 130, which extends outside of the female 8P8C receptacle 200, is pressed down to disengage the pair of shoulders 136 from the pair of retention lips 139 so that the 8P8C plug 100 can be removed.
The flexible retention latch 130 of the 8P8C plug 100 is usually fragile. If the retention latch 130 is damaged (i.e., broken) within the flexible section 132, the 8P8C plug 100 cannot be retained in the female 8P8C receptacle 200. If the retention latch 130 is damaged within the stem 134 (e.g., the stem 134 has broken off), the 8P8C plug 100 can be retained in the female 8P8C receptacle 200, but the 8P8C plug 100 can be difficult to remove. FIG. 2 shows a cross-sectional side view of the 8P8C plug 100 with a retention latch 130, of which the stem 134 is damaged, wherein the 8P8C plug 100 engages the female 8P8C receptacle 200. As illustrated, the pair of shoulders 136 of the retention latch 130 whose stem 134 is broken off engages the pair of retention lips 139 inside the female 8P8C receptacle 200. However, to remove the 8P8C plug 100, it is difficult to disengage the pair of shoulders 136 from the pair of retention lips 139 due to the damaged stem 134. In such case, an external object such as a thin sticker is often needed to press down the retention latch 130 so that the 8P8C plug 100 can be removed. Often, when the retention latch 130 is damaged or becomes detached from the 8P8C plug 100, it is necessary to either replace the entire cable with plug combination or replace the damaged plug itself. Replacing the damaged plug is difficult and impractical because it requires tools and skills to process the very fine wire gauge. Thus, the entire cable with plug combination is usually discarded and replaced, but such replacement is not cost effective.
A solution is provided in U.S. Patent Publication No. 2006/0046575A1, which discloses an electrical adapter comprising a female end and a male end. The female end of the electrical adapter is provided for electrically receiving a male RJ11 plug with broken latching tab removed, while the male end comprises an unbroken latching tab and is substantially similar in shape to the male plug. The female end comprises a retaining tab for holding the male plug securely in place. However, if a user desires to remove the male plug with broken latching tab from the female end, a releasing device must be manually inserted into the female end of the adapter to release the male plug. In addition, if the broken latching tab is not damaged at the position of the latch base 120 as illustrated in FIG. 1, the female end of the adapter will not be able to receive the male RJ11 plug.
Another solution is provided by U.S. Pat. No. 7,223,109, which discloses a replacement latch to be added for retention of a damaged male 8P8C plug whose molded flexible latch has been broken off. However, the replacement latch includes multiple parts (at least three) mounted within a tiny space inside the male 8P8C plug, and thus it is difficult to manufacture/assemble the replacement latch. Moreover, if the flexible latch is not damaged at the position of the latch base 120 as illustrated in FIG. 1, the replacement latch will not be compatible with a male 8P8C plug due to a lack of free space for inserting any additional parts inside a female 8P8C receptacle.
Accordingly, a practical and reliable solution is required for accommodating a plug with any type of damaged retention latch without requiring replacement of the plug itself or an entire cable with plug connected thereto.